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Balance and Boost Your Immune System
by author Tutti Gould, DC, ND & Hazel Gill, DCH

Your immune system is the most complex and critical component of your body’s inherent defence mechanism: a vast network of specialized cells and organs including your liver, lymphatic system, thymus, spleen and bone marrow. Together they share the responsibility of maintaining your resistance to disease.

Immunity is partly inherited and partly shaped by lifestyle. Your ability to ward off disease is determined by the resilience of your natural defences.

Most people know that proper nutrition plays a key role, as do a number of other factors, including adequate rest, emotional stability, purposeful occupation, a positive attitude, regular exercise, spiritual support and consistent water replenishment. But what do these have in common with each other? Balance! When we shape our lives according to this model, we are able to maintain harmony in every aspect of our existence–physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Balance is crucial to all life. Too much rain causes flooding and too little results in drought. Too much food leads to obesity and too little causes malnutrition. Too much stress overloads the nervous system and too little may create inertia. As with any other aspect of nature, humans require just the right mix of life-giving components to suit individual needs.

Some of us are stimulated by more rest, others need more exercise. Similarly, hyperactivity of the immune system can lead to autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, where the body attacks itself. By comparison, a sluggish immune system will precipitate the spread of deficiency diseases like the common cold, often leading to more serious secondary conditions.

Homeopathy is a system of natural medicine that treats the total symptom-picture–physical, mental and emotional. By matching the appropriate homeopathic remedy to the individual constitution of a person, a homeopathic remedy can bring order back to a disordered state and help the body return to its own unique balance.

In homeopathy, people fit certain body/mind types referred to as constitutional types and each will respond to the specific homeopathic substance that is capable of producing the symptom picture most similar to her own. For instance, a person may be a Sulphur type or a Nux Vomica type.

Know Thyself

Constitutional care has the capacity to elicit a profound healing response by strengthening the underlying defence processes of their body, thus supporting it to return to a state of health and balance.

A complete description of each constitutional type is found in any homeopathic Materia Medica, however, for this purpose we have given a brief synopsis of a few such constitutional remedies are given below:

• Nux Vomica types are highly-strung, energetic, competitive and ambitious. They work and play hard, thrive on challenges and can be highly critical of others. They are impatient and readily explode with anger. In their drive to achieve, they may resort to alcohol or drugs to enhance their performance, or to help them relax. They suffer digestive disturbances, headaches, constipation and insomnia and are often worse in the morning.


• Although Sulphur types expend a great deal of energy in imaginative thought, they are less efficient on a practical level. They are intellectual, philosophical, opinionated and self-centered with a strong need for recognition. They enjoy lively debates on topics that interest them. Although easily incensed, their anger subsides quickly. They may also be friendly and extroverted. They can be lazy, untidy and ill-kempt. They suffer from skin complaints, headaches and hemorrhoids.


• Pulsatilla types are good-natured, affectionate, shy, kind and gentle. Often dependent on others for support, they gratefully accept guidance and advice. Not very assertive they find decision-making difficult and have a hard time expressing anger. They avoid confrontation and are swayed by emotion rather than reason. They cry easily without self-restraint and feel better when consoled. They suffer urinary complaints and menstrual difficulties.
  
• Arsenicum album types are tense, proper, restless and ambitious individuals who worry about their health. They are deeply pessimistic with a constant need for reassurance. Finesse and precision personified, they are intolerant of disorder. They express strong opinions and have little time for the ideas and beliefs of others. Their perfectionistic tendencies result in an "all or nothing" attitude. They suffer various gastric disorders, ulcers and prostration.

Simple health conditions can be effectively self-treated with a good homeopathic self-help book, found in most health food stores. However, chronic or complex disturbances should be treated by a qualified homeopathic practitioner.

Hazel Gill is a practitioner of classical homeopathy with eight years experience in the natural health industry as a researcher, writer and editor. Tutti Gould is a trained chiropractor, NLP practitioner and naturopathic doctor who specializes in homeopathy.

Source: alive #219, January 2001